At the first glance there is certainly something extremely repulsive in the Russian mushik. His hair is long and shaggy, and so is his beard: his person is dirty; he is always noisy; and when wrapped up in his sheepskin, he certainly presents a figure more suitable for a bandit or murderer than for a man devoted to peaceable occupations. This apparent rudeness, however, is less a part of the man himself, than of his hair and beard, of his shaggy sheepskin, and the loud deep tone of his voice - The stranger who is able to address him with kindness in his native iangniage, soon discovers in the mushik, a good-humoured, friendly, harmless and serviceable creature. — " Sdrastvuitye brat! Good day, brother; how goes it?''! Good day, father; thank God, it goes well with me. Wliat is your pleasure? How can I serve you?" And at these words his face unbends into a simpering smile, the hat is taken off, the glove drawn from the hand, bow follows bow, and he will catch your hand with native politeness and good-humoured cordiality. With admirable patience he mil then afford the required information in its minutest details; and this the more willingly as he feels flattered by the interrogation, and is pleased by the opportunity to assume the office of instructor. A few words are often enough to draw from him a torrent of eloquence.
Englishmen are too apt to attribute the courtesy of the Russian to a slavish disposition, but the courteous manner In which two Russian peasants are sure to salute each other when they meet, cannot be the result of fear engendered by social tyranny. On the contrary, a spirit of genuine pohteness pervades all classes, the highest as well as the lowest. Foreigners generally describe the Russians as rogues, with whom it is impossible to conclude a bargain without being cheated, and no one can deny that the frauds daily practised in the market places are innumerable. Nevertheless, examples are also numerous among them of the most romantic acts of integrity. An instance of the kind came to ray own knowledge. An English lady holding an appointment in the Winter Palace, gave 500 rubles to a poor isdavoi to deliver to her daughter at Zarskoye Selo. On the following day he returned, Idssed the lady's hand, and said : " Pardon me, I am guilty. I cannot tell how it has happened, but I have lost your money, and cannot find it again. Deal with me as you please.' The lady, unwilling to ruin the man, made no mention of his offence, and after a time lost sight of him entirely. At the end of six years he came to her one day wdth a cheerful countenance, and returned the 500 rubles of which his carelessness had deprived her. On inquiry it turned out that during those six years he had denied himself every little enjoyment, and had saved up liis wages till he had collected about 300 rubles. Having recently been promoted to a better situation he had been in a condition to marry. His wife had brought him a dower of 100 rubles, and was besides possessed of some articles of trifling value, all of which had been sold in order to tranquillize the husband's conscience, who now came to relieve himself of a debt that had so long weighed upon his mind. No entreaty could induce him to take the money back, which was, however, placed in a public bank, to accumulate at compound interest for the benefit of his children.
Such instances of honesty are by no means rare amongst the Russians ; whether at the last day they will balance their admitted rogueries, God alone can decide. The Russian way of cheating is quite peculiar to the people ; they do it with so much adroitness, one may almost say with so much grace, that it is difficult to be angry with them. If a German cheats me, I cannot restrain my anger ; he does it with the worst conscience in the world ; he kno\^'s what he is about, has the most perfect consciousness of the shameless exorbitance of his demands, and basely abuses the confidence placed in him. The Russian on the contrary knows that every one takes him for a rogue, and in the Aivacity of his fancy may really imagine that his wares are what he so loudly proclaims them sainolut shize (the very best). Neither can he conceive why any one should object to pay four times any more than twice the value of a thing, and is therefore as unconcerned as a conjurer over his tricks. He laughs, jests, ogles his outwitted customer, and hona-fide thanks God and all his saints that his work has prospered so well. One may see when a German cheats, that he knows the devil is at his elbow ; when a Russian does the same, he holds himself especially favoured by his good angel.